Water heater



Sept 2 1952 A. A. GLAWE 2,608,957

WATER HEATER Filed Nov. 12v, 194s lli Patented Sept. 2, 1952 ff UNITED; fer-,ATE

WATER HEATER .4 A'AdolphrL Glawe, Green Bay, Wis. Applieditil` November 12, 1948,seria1N'o. 59,703

, 1 Y This invention relates to improvements inwater heaters. i

- It is a general object of the present invention toprovide an'improved waterrheater which is -constructed in a manner to provide anincrea'sed area of water tank surfaceiwhich is exposed to the hot gases of combustion and thereby increase the efficiency of operation.

A further object Aof the invention is to provide a water heater which includes an inverted cone shaped inner tank portion which isvso arranged that the bottomxthereof isexposed to thelflame of the burner so that the hot gases of `combustion `may travel up along thetapered tank wall.

water chamber and there being ra spaceA for hot gases located between said conical tank and tubular member. l

A further object ofthe invention is jto provide Ha heater of the classdescribed wherein the yeinciencyof operation is increased by having anarrangement of parts wherein the hotgases of :com-

bustion wipe both the outer surfacefof the conical inner tank and the inner surface of the annular water chamber, -said hot gases also directly contacting conduits which lead from the water chamber to the lower portion of the conical inner tank. l A further object of the invention is to provide a heater ofthe class described having valve means for temporarily shutting off communication between the lower ends of the inner and outer tanks to thereby selectively provide for quick heating of the water in the inner tank.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a water heater of the class described which may be used successfully with any type of conventional heating unit whether utilizing oil, coalV or gas.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved water heater of the class described which is strong and durable, which is relatively easy to manufacture, which is economical to operate, and which is otherwise well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved water heater, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claim, and all equivalents thereof.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a 10mm. (orizz-165) 4irigly connected as at I I, and thelower tip ofthe closed by a vcircular plate 6.

part of this specification, wherein is shown one complete embodiment of the preferred 4form of the invention, and wherein the samereference charactersindicate the same parts in all'of .the views:

Fig. 1 is'a vertical sectionalview ofthe improved water heater; z 1 Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken approximately along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is atransversesectional View' taken approximately along' the line 3 3v of Fig. l. Referring more particularly to the drawing, the improved water heaterhas an elongated outer cylindrical shellorcasing 5 having its upper end Positioned within and, substantially concentric with the outer-shell 5 is an inner cylindrioaltube 'I which is formed at its lowerl end with an., outwardly projecting Aannular `flange v8; The peripheral edgel of the `flange B is sealingly connectedin any;V suitable 20 manner Ato the inner surface of the shell 5.l The fiange-of the inner shell 1 maybe positioned on a supporting angle-9 extending around and fixed to the inner surface of theshell 5 as shown. Any

, suitable means may however be used to close the 25* v tween the shell l5 and tubeg'Lv bottom ofthe annular water chamber lformed bey An inverted conicaltank I0 is positioned-within the innerftube I and is preferably concentric therewith. The upper marginal edges of the con1cal tankgl and ofthe inner shell K'Iare sealconical tank I0 is preferably rounded as atqIZ. Extending diametrically outwardly and 4downwardly from the lower end of the conical tank III ,are conduits I3 andIIi. Any desired number may be employed. AThe conduits I3 and I4 provide communication between the interior of the tank i0 and theannular space I5.

, Extending diametrically across the corneal tank l I0 near its upperfend and opening through oppo- 4 site side"-wall'portions thereof. is a transverseflue or conduit4 I6., Projecting upwardly from a central portion ofthe flue portion I6 and extending through the top plate 6 is a vertical flue portion I'I. Extendingvertically through the top plate 6 is a hot water outlet pipe I8. Openingv into the space I5 through the outer shell 5 and adjacent "the lower end of the inner shell 'I is a coldA water inlet pipe I9.

Supported in any suitable manner below and concentric with the conical tank I0 is a heating unit 2D. A pot type oil burning unit 20 is shown, but it is obvious that any suitable type of unit may be used, regardless of the type of fuel. As shown in Fig. 1, the burner 20 is provided with a pair of oppositely extending ears 2I. The

burner 2U is removably supported by means of bolts 22 secured to the under side of the annular ange 8, and extending through the ears 2I, wing nuts 23 being threaded on said bolts under the ears 2|. An oil line 24 is provided to deliver fuel to the burner 2G. In order that sucient air be provided to support combustion in the burner, the lower end of the shell l is formed with suitable Ventilating means, such as the apertures 25.

Mounted on and extending through the outer shell 5 opposite the outer ends of the conduits I3 and I4 are a pair of valves 26 and 21 respecv tively. The valves 26 and 21 have externally accessible manually engageable hand wheels 28 and 29 and valve members 30 and 3I respectively. When the hand wheels 28 kand A-29 lare turned inwardly the valve members 30 and 3I move inwardly therewith, to the dot andl dash line positions shown, to seal off the outer ends -of the conduits I3fand I4. Threaded into fan aperture in thetopplatel is 'fa -vent'plug '132.

-In operation, the improved heater maybe lled by/introducing water through'the inletconduit I9. During theI iilling'operati'o'n the air displaced by the water may be vented-by 1Jtemporarily` removing the 'plug 32. When therheater is'full, the" space I5 between the' inner-shell11an'dthe outer shell"5 is filled withwaten as-fare thefconduits I3'an`d I4 andthe conicalitankil. .UponI lighting .the burner '20, '-aamef-is emitted. from the 1top" thereof. The" lower end off thefconical 'tank t0 -spreads this flarneoutwardly 'so' that'as the .gases I"of vcombustion rise #around the tank Inf-at the 'same time these? gases'wvipethe inner 2 @surface ofthe inner shell-1. The spent gases of combustion travel 'out through the' ues' `I 6 and I1. Since the conicaltank IB has la volume'which *is 'lessi than that of'thev spaceI I5,= and Asince'the lower end' ofthe tankilfcomes incontact'iWith the'hottest portion' 'of the 'llame from! the burner T20, thefwater 'in thetarik= I0 ishea'te'd lfir'st, v As *the waterl in'` the ytank' I 0' is'f thus: heated, itf'rises, causing cooler waterl tol flow inf through thecnduits ISaIid I4 -to Iflilisplace thehatedf'fwater which has risen. The"circulation-pffthe'iwater thus'set-'lup by the risingcurrents vin 'tlfie'' tank `*I Ulis indcatedbyithe arrows in Figl 1. Itcafuses -tlie cooler' l'water to v"iiow -down-wardly`-b'et'ween '-theflshells 5`and1-asfsh` wn- Av`This circulatiorr'will `cntinue-as long lpaslieat'issupplied'by :the v'buier. `'Il'iefheatedwater may be-Vdrawn -off through lthe' conduit-T '18. v

I When'it is desired to producehctwa-ter in aalxm-inimumof-timefthe outer endsofthel con' 55 ''Theffllowingreferences lare'ofrecodfin' the and 3I are in the dotandfdash*linejpesitionv of 3 Fig. 1. -Thisy prevents-*cool water from entering the' tank VI 0'- through the conduits I3' andL I 4; and` lasla result, thewater'fin'the conical tankr ljheats up "quickly because -of 'its' exposure 'to highibu'rner f temperatures and1 because ofthe relatively 'high ratio of'heating surfaceto 'cntainedyolume thereof.. `For safety'purposesa' suitable pressure relief valve (not shown) maybe' usedinthe' system' to avoid the 'dangersfpresented' by .genera- 4 tion of steam within the improved heater, should the valves 26 and 21 be inadvertently left closed for too long a period with the burner in operation. Opening the valves 26 and 21 permits the 5 normal circulation of the water as described hereinbefore.

The improved construction, by reason of the incorporation therein of the novel conical inner tank, provides Yan eiciencyhitherto unobtain- "able 'in single flue waterheaters. 'This heater can'be easily and inexpensivelymanufactured from a minimum of parts, and it is particularly 'i'well adapted to mass production methods.

Various changes and modifications may be l5 made without departing from the spirit of the Vinvention,'and all of such changes are contemplatedas will come within the scope of the claim.

What I claim is:

-Ina water heater, an outer casing; a smooth surfaced tubular inner shell within said outer casing Aandf'spaced therefrom to form -an-fannular water chamber, means for closing the bottom-.of Ysaidwater chamber; asmooth surfaced inverted conical tank ofnot substantiallyless length than said inner-shell positionedWit-hin said inner-shell vto formfa 'combustion chamberwofdecreasing A'cross-section from-bottom vto=topfthere being communication between said Aconical tank fand Ssaid water chamber'atthe 4upper ends thereof; a SOL-plurality of conduits, #within the combustion chamber formed' by said conical? tank andY said rinner shell, connecting' a' lower'endportion of said conical tank `with a flower end.` portion of said Water chamber; a valve member-in` said Aannular' lwaterV chamber fr each'condu'it positioned to :selectively'fclovse theA adjacentend of saidconduit `to?- prevent the "flowof 'Waterl therethrough,'said valve 'lme'mbers each vhaving yan externally accessible-'manually 'operable-A stemL which, projectsf' n through the Y outer l casi-ng l' a ue' extending.l into said combustion Y chamber through said fconical '-tankfall portions of saidfiiue being substantially above the horizontal fouten lineof the conical 'tankra coldfwaterinlet conduit enteringwalower 15 end portion of said outer casing; anda hot'lwater conduit extending through said outer casing and -having" itsinner end positioned abovesaidlconicall tank, seid-'outletclriduitV being; at alll-times irl-direct ycommunicationl withA the interior lt said I conical 'tank `and with f-sa'id annular "'fwater l chamber.

0ADOLPH LGLAWJE.

*REFERENCESA CITED Eilepthis patent:

` "UNTED STATESTPATENTS 

